1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capturing device. In particular, it relates to an image capturing device, such as a digital camera, that incorporates a refractive optical system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-251936 discloses a thin digital camera that incorporates a refractive optical system. This digital camera has an objective lens that receives subject light on the front of the camera body and a refractive optical system that bends the subject light incident through the objective lens 90 degrees downward to form the subject image on an imaging element. In addition, the body of the camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-251936 has an opening to expose the objective lens and a barrier to close the opening, and the barrier is moved to close the opening in response to an instruction to stop the operation of the camera. Thus, the objective lens is protected by the barrier when the camera is not in use.
On the other hand, a digital camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-325471 has a nested camera body and a nested lens barrel of a refractive optical system that expands in the same direction as the camera body. This digital camera is configured so that the lens barrel is expanded and contracted in association with expansion and contraction of the camera body. Expansion of the camera body causes expansion of the lens barrel, thereby exposing an entrance window of the lens barrel. Contraction of the camera body causes contraction of the lens barrel, thereby closing the entrance window with a barrier.